CAREER: Charge Photogeneration and Transport in Organic Semiconductor Nanowires

非技术描述：有机半导体的易加工性和机械灵活性推动了其广泛集成到颠覆性技术中的潜力。例如，这种材料已经被用于商用曲面电视和智能手机屏幕。该CAREER奖的研究部分调查了具有受控尺寸，形状和成分的单个有机半导体纳米线的纳米级特性，为影响有机半导体纳米线电特性的因素提供了基本见解，并用于指导下一代电子，传感和能量收集技术的发展。这些研究工作与教育活动相结合，旨在激发年轻的宾厄姆顿地区学生对科学的兴趣，并提高宾厄姆顿大学科学本科生的保留和培训。这些教育计划支持学校教师的科学教学工作，并为来自低收入和历史上代表性不足的少数民族人口的学生提供实践科学活动。技术说明：有机半导体纳米线的电性能迄今为止主要是在由大量纳米线组成的器件上进行评估，对器件性能的纳米尺度起源提供了有限的见解。此外，有机半导体纳米线的结构和电性能之间的关系的系统研究已受到阻碍，缺乏独立的控制纳米线的尺寸，形状和组成。本计画的中心研究目标是在单根纳米线和单界面水平上阐明有机半导体纳米线结构在介导电荷光生和输运中的作用。该项目研究了纳米尺度的空间限制对有机半导体生长的影响，电荷传输对内部纳米线结构和纳米线界面的依赖性，以及纳米线尺寸和组成对电荷光生、复合和收集的影响。有机半导体纳米线的控制的大小，形状和组成的合成通过使用模板生长过程。纳米尺度分辨率的局部电测量进行导电原子力显微镜。这些实验提供了深入了解有机半导体纳米线的内在电气性能限制，并为将这些纳米材料集成到低成本和灵活的电子产品中提供了信息。

Nontechnical Description: The ease of processing and mechanical flexibility of organic semiconductors drive the potential for their broad integration into disruptive technologies. Such materials, for example, are already being used in commercially-available curved television and smartphone screens. The research component of this CAREER award investigates nanometer-scale properties of individual organic semiconductor nanowires with controlled size, shape and composition, provides fundamental insight into the factors that influence the electrical properties of organic semiconductor nanowires, and serves to guide the development of next-generation electronics, sensing, and energy harvesting technologies. These research efforts are integrated with educational activities designed to stimulate interest in science among young Binghamton-area students and to improve the retention and training of Binghamton University science undergraduates. The educational initiatives support the science teaching efforts of school teachers and provide hands-on science activities for students from low-income and historically underrepresented minority populations.Technical Description: The electrical properties of organic semiconductor nanowires have so far been predominantly assessed at the devices comprising large ensembles of nanowires, providing limited insight into the nanoscale origins of device performance. Moreover, systematic study of the relationships between organic semiconductor nanowire structure and electrical properties has been hindered by a lack of independent control over nanowire size, shape, and composition. The central research goal of this project is to elucidate the roles of organic semiconductor nanowire structure in mediating charge photogeneration and transport at the single nanowire and single interface level. The project examines the effects of nanometer-scale spatial confinement on the growth of organic semiconductors, the dependence of charge transport on internal nanowire structure and nanowire interfaces, and the influence of nanowire size and composition on charge photogeneration, recombination, and collection. Organic semiconductor nanowires of controlled size, shape, and composition are synthesized by using a templated growth process. Nanometer-scale resolution local electrical measurements are performed by conductive atomic force microscopy. These experiments provide insight into the intrinsic electrical performance limits of organic semiconductor nanowires and inform efforts to integrate these nanomaterials into low-cost and flexible electronics.